Chicken and Leek Casserole or Soup – a 5:2 Diet Recipe for leftovers. It’s back to work and back to the 5:2 diet for me. I’ve had family staying over Christmas and the New Year so I’ve been cooking more and making richer food than normal. On New Year’s Eve we had some fabulous thyme […]

Ultimate Comfort Food – Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding: Do you like LOVE bread and butter pudding? For me, it’s one of the ultimate comfort foods, ridiculously calorific and fabulously soothing. You can’t compromise with this dish by using skimmed milk or just egg whites, it needs to be rich, buttery and creamy. Or at least […]

Leftover Venison – Spicy Rissoles – a 5:2 Diet Recipe: There is a curious life-cycle to leftover Christmas food that seems to work in pretty much the same way no matter which animal and vegetables you eat on Christmas Day. On the big day you feast happily on a heaped, steaming plate of food. Someone will […]

Seasonal Snacks with Smoked Cheese: Most of the time I cook straightforward family meals. But, Christmas is coming and I decided it would be great to have some ‘nibbles’ – things I could leave out for Santa -0r (more probably) enjoy myself with a glass of wine or a beer. So, trying to be creative, […]

Turkey Bolognese – a Low Calorie 5:2 Diet Recipe: This dish of bolognese sauce made with turkey leftovers scores no points for authenticity. But, it is a delicious, low fat, low calorie way to enjoy leftovers of turkey from Christmas (or chicken) and a good example of how making a few simple changes in what you eat […]

Stuffed Squash – Autumnal Flavours without Winter Calories for 5:2 Diet: Using up leftovers of meat if you are dieting can be quite a challenge. When I am not dieting or on a 5:2 diet fast day, I would normally use leftover chicken or ham in a risotto or pasta dish. Once meat has been […]

Potted Turkey – My Last Stand! It is that time of year when if you tried cooking turkey, you might just be wondering what on earth to make next! I was rather pleased with the Tom Yum soup and the Meatballs. But, right at the moment I don’t feel much like eating turkey again for […]

5:2 Diet Frugal Fast Days – Using up that Turkey: One of the biggest challenges of the 5:2 diet for me has been how to cope with family Christmas. To some extent I haven’t tried too hard. One advantage of the 5-2 diet, so far as I can tell so far, is that it DOES […]

Risotto – the Perfect use for leftover roast Chicken I love making risotto. I find the stirring process quite theraputic, getting that gloopy sticky mixture as the starch from the rice is released. And, its something where you can be creative with your leftovers and make a meal that’s almost elegant with things that […]

Lovely Leftovers – Fennel and Smoked Salmon Pasta: An admission, this was going to be the fennel and smoked salmon salad that Janice posted a while ago. Sorry Janice. It’s COLD and I need warm comfort food. And there’s not much in the house because I am off to Tuscany tomorrow. In fact, I think […]

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A fantastic and intriguing evening of wine tasting at @thegamebirdlon where we had a tour around the 17th-century cellars that now house around 8,000 bottles of wine. The cellars were used as an air-raid shelter by the American Airforce who were stationed @thestaffordlondon (lucky them!) and there’s a whole collection of original #WorldWarII memorabilia including newspapers, posters and gas masks. You can book the whole space for private dining too. We were looked after by Master Sommelier, Gino Nardella who has worked at #TheStafford for over 35 years. I’d assumed that #thegamebird was just a reference to a menu with a good selection of game dishes, but it turns out that there’s another twist to the name. It’s a tribute to Nancy Wake, a former resident of The Stafford and an eccentric spy who used the in-house American Bar during the Second World War. She apparently decided that she liked the place and moved in to live there during her last years. During the War she was a leading figure in a network that helped Dunkirk survivors – Allied airmen and Jews to safety. She was the most decorated woman of the Second World War and was a true heroine – parachuted into France in 1944 to prepare for the D-Day invasion for example, where she lived rough and managed the organizing and training of 7,000 Maquisards.

Such was her love of The Stafford that she determined to spend her final years there – and although she never had the resources to pay her bills, the hotel was happy to accommodate her. Prince Charles and a whole host of anonymous donors used to contribute to her living expenses, which included 5 or 6 G&Ts in the American Bar each day! She died on August 7th 2011 at the age of 98.
It’s particularly charming that the hotel’s restaurant is named after her – and that there’s still a picture of her in the #AmericanBar.
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